Quills and Conversations
by Pennedwing
Summary: A one shot Snily (snapexlily) in their sixth year at Hogwarts


Quills and Conversation

Snape x Lily Oneshot

"Honestly, Severus, I cannot understand why you're making such a big deal out of this." Lily Evans gathered her flaming red hair in front of one shoulder before picking up her rather large stack of books. With a fleeting glare the gangly witch turned on her heel and left the potions classroom, a hook-nosed young wizard trailing behind her with a hunched back and steely eyes.

"Oh come on, Lily! Don't tell me you truly believe what he's been telling you? That he's _changed! _Have you gone mad?"

"I've not gone mad," the girl threw over her shoulder with an irritated air. Students passing by could not help staring at the girl. She had been pretty first year, but now she had matured into an attractive young woman. Her blue doe eyes and striking smile turned the heads of all the boys in sixth year, not to mention she was a talented witch. Some considered her to be the brightest of her class. Lily hated all the attention, and made sure others knew. Even now she glared down her admirers so that they avoided her eyes and she continued her determined stride down the hallway. Severus Snape, on the other hand, was hardly acknowledged, unless the other students were making fun of him. With his hooked nose, greasy black hair, and sour attitude, the boys disliked him and the girls feared him. All except the girl he pursued now, with whom he had been close friends since childhood.

"Then how could you even _consider _saying yes to _Potter?_" Severus spit out, disgusted to even say the name of his most mortal foe. "You said yourself he's an arrogant toe-rag! What happened to that Lily Potter I know and love?" At the sound of his own words Severus flushed bright red, almost matching the hue of Lily's vibrant hair. He hadn't meant to profess his deepest secret so casually—it had just slipped out.

Fortunately, Lily took no notice. "I haven't changed, Severus, James has."

"James?" Severus repeated with incredulity. "_James?_ Since when have you started calling him _James?_"

"Well that is his name."

Catching up beside her the two friends turned the corner to the Great Hall, which was experiencing the end of the lunch hour. Most of the tables were empty, save for the few scattered students working on last-minute assignments or stuffing leftover rolls into their sacks. Lily and Severus sat next to each other towards the back of the immense dining hall at the Hufflepuff table. No one would bother them there.

Lily immediately took out the potions homework they'd just been assigned and set her quill to the parchment, already in deep concentration. Severus looked around the room, agitated, wanting to continue their conversation. He could not imagine why Lily would ever voluntarily want to be with James Potter, the conceited Quidditch star and all-around pompous brat. He wasn't even that good at Quidditch. He'd been hit in the head by the bludger more times than Severus could count. The only reason people thought he had any talent was because he was too stupid to know when to quit. He was the same way with Lily.

Potter had been pursuing his best friend since first-year. Of course, up until now she had always been able to see through his childish antics and foolish advances. But lately, Lily had been spending time with her housemate. _Talking _to him. _Joking _with him even. She'd dragged Severus along to several Quidditch matches and then complained when Severus wouldn't cheer. He had never liked the ridiculous sport, _A bunch of baboons flying around smacking into each other like barbarians_, he'd once said. Until this, their sixth year, Lily had remained detached from the boys from the Gryffindor House. But ever since she started hanging around with that Lupin kid, the one who mysteriously disappeared every month, she had grown closer with the lot of them. It made Severus sick to his stomach.

He tried again. "Lily, you know what they think of us."

Without looking up from her parchment, she said, "I know no such thing."

"Lily, please," Severus groaned. "You know how they've treated me since first-year. You know the things they've done to me," he added in a hushed voice. Pranks, hexes and curses were only a few of the mean-spirited tricks Severus had been subject to during his rivalry with Potter and his gang of friends. But it was always Potter who started it. Then, without fail, that Sirius Black would join in, threatening to use dark magic he'd learned from his father. Remus seemed to have at least a little more sympathy than the others, but he still did not do anything to stop the abuse. And then there was that weasel of a boy Peter Pettigrew, who, Severus was fairly certain, only hung around that crew because he feared them. Whenever the other boys didn't feel like dealing with Severus, they always made Peter do the job. And he would, just to please them.

Severus steamed. He wasn't sure about the other three, but he knew if he ever got Peter alone, he could take him.

"Honestly, Severus, would you stop that? They haven't done anything to you since third-year," Lily shot back, as if she could read his mind.

He knew she was right, but couldn't resist muttering, "That you know of," which earned him a dark glare. Even if the group hadn't physically attacked him lately, they'd had no qualms about making fun of his hair or insulting his family. These attacks hurt, but not nearly as much as when Potter told him that he didn't deserve Lily's friendship. _She's far too good for you, Snivellus. _The worst part was, Snape knew he was right. She was caring, thoughtful, beautiful, not to mention absolutely brilliant, and absolutely loyal. Severus knew he wasn't worthy of even speaking her name. But she was the best thing that had ever happened to him, and he wasn't about to screw up their relationship. Or let anyone else.

Mustering all of his pride and throwing it away, Snape looked up at her. "I'm sorry."

Slowly, her blue eyes met his ashamed gaze. For a moment she appeared angry, and Snape prepared for the backlash, but as quickly as the anger had arrived, it vanished, and her face softened. "I suppose it's alright."

He tried to grin, but couldn't keep up the façade for long. "Just…promise me one thing?"

Lily sighed, but didn't look away. "And what's that?"

"Be careful. Alright?"

A small chuckle escaped the lips of the girl with the flaming hair. She smiled at her friend, then reached out to place her soft hand over his. When their eyes met, it was like magic. "Always."


End file.
